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"McDonald's with Sarah Silverman" is Episode 184 of Doughboys, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "McDonald's with Sarah Silverman" was released on December 20, 2018.

Mcdbreakfastsstweet

"Tomorrow..." - @doughboyspod

Synopsis[]

On a historic Doughboys milestone, the 'boys are joined by Sarah Silverman (Ralph Breaks The Internet, I Love You, America) to review a cornerstone of American chain restaurants: McDonald's. Plus, another segment of Pie In This Guy.

Nick's intro[]

In 1935, as Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal saw an ambitious public-works program to boost the U.S. economy out of depression, his administration approved a monument meant to celebrate the 18th-century western territorial expansion overseen by Thomas Jefferson, selecting a site along the riverfront in St. Louis, Missouri.

So began the conception of the St. Louis Arch which designates the "gateway to the West," though the slow churn of bureaucracy, combined with the ambition of the design, meant construction wasn't completed until thirty years later in 1965.

Stlarchmdb

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO

Of course, there's another American arch that actually pre-dates St. Louis' river-straddling steel rainbow.

In 1940, brothers Richard and Maurice opened a restaurant in San Bernardino, California, and when they streamlined it into a hamburger stand and mechanized production to vastly increase service speed, it attracted SoCal car-culture consumers in droves.

In 1953, the brothers opened a location in Phoenix, Arizona, designed by architect Stanley Clark Meston in the eye-catching, futurist Googie style of the era, now most famously seen in The Jetsons and Disney's Tomorrowland. To draw eyes from the highway, the location included building-spanning yellow parabolas, what would become known as "the Golden Arches," which would become a signature structural element in future outlets.

In 1955, traveling salesman Ray Kroc partnered with the Brothers to franchise their concept nationwide. Recognizing that constructing restaurants with giant arches wasn't scalable, in 1962, the Golden Arches were retrofitted into a logo, joined to form an 'M' standing for the Brothers', and restaurant's, name. It would be used for their signage, packaging, and marketing, becoming one of the most recognized corporate insignias in the world.

Once the conniving Kroc infamously cut the founders out of their lucrative franchising agreement, forcing them to surrender control of their business, the logo and brand name would be all that remained of the Brothers' pioneering contributions to fast food, as Kroc's stewardship grew it into the industry-leading behemoth it remains today. In the midst of exponential growth, Kroc's amoral "min / max" business philosophy led the company to minimize both food quality and worker compensation to maximize profit. But thanks in part to aggressive marketing to children, who would become lifelong consumers, the chain's food has become a key part of the American identity, both at home and in perception from abroad.

So perhaps the real "Gateway to the West" is not the St. Louis Arch, but rather the Golden Arches associated with the Southern California-founded fast-food franchise that is now ubiquitous worldwide - its domestic outlets serving as makeshift community centers, its foreign ones embassies of America's chief export of global capitalism.

This week on Doughboys: McDonald's... breakfast.

[TOTALLY PRANKED.]

Fork rating[]

guest / host ordered rating
Nick Wiger
  • Small Coffee
  • Mango Pineapple Smoothie
  • Triple Breakfast Stacks Biscuit
  • Hash Browns
  • Hotcakes and Sausage
  • Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
5 forks
Mike Mitchell
  • Coke
  • Triple Breakfast Stacks McMuffin
  • Hash Browns
  • Hotcakes
  • Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles
  • Sausage Burrito
5 forks
Sarah Silverman
  • Egg & Cheese Biscuit
  • Hash Browns
5 forks

With these scores, McDonald's breakfast menu makes the Platinum Plate Club!

Pie In This Guy[]

Mcdbreakfastpie

Holiday Pie

This segment is when Nick presents a mystery pie and a series of clues, and Mitch and the guest try to guess the flavor. To aid their guess they are allowed to phone a friend or smell the pie without seeing it.

The mystery pie for this episode was a Holiday Pie from McDonald's.

guest / host guess result
The sight of this pie may make you raise your eyebrow or arch it, if you will.
Mike Mitchell McDonald's Apple Pie incorrect
Usually made with apples, around the holiday season, this pie gets a sprinkle of fun.
Sarah Silverman Apple Crisp incorrect
Biting into this vanilla-filled, funfetti-topped seasonal hand pie will make you exclaim "I'm loving it!"
Mike Mitchell McDonald's Birthday Cake Pie incorrect
It's from McDonald's, but it's not the apple pie, it's a seasonal variety that rhymes with "Boliday Pie"
Sarah Silverman Holiday Pie winner!

Roast Spoonman[]

Mcdbreakfastssroast
Ebenezer Splooge

–Elizabet @elizabetsteps

Quotes[]

Mitch: You know what I think? Manchester should be renamed Personchester.

Sarah: You're such an ally.

–Mike Mitchell

Mitch: Happy Meals have apples as an option now, which I think is bullshit.

Sarah: In case Nick wants to fuck it.

–because Nick literally fucks apples

Mitch: Grimace came over to me on my birthday!

Nick: And then he was like "son?"

–Mitch just wanted to hang with Grimace

Yea, war crimes were committed. So, I like the hash browns I got...

–Nick Wiger

#hashtags[]

  • #FruitSuitRiot

The Feedbag[]

I was delighted to see the episode on Loving Hut. Being A) vegan and B) in Germany, I often can't relate to a show 100%, but have been to Loving Hut twice a couple of years ago. On my last trip to the U.S. this September, I was able to follow your advice on Veggie Grill chikken sandwich, Taco Bell orders fresca style, and the Impossible Burger - a ride on the uncanny valley roller coaster.

My question: considering recent innovations like the Impossible Burger, what would it take for to you to convert to the "V" side? Chain restaurant-like availability? Perfectly imitated taste - which meal specifically? Or veganism enforced by law? Or not even that?

–Kubo in Germany

Related Episodes[]

McDonald's episodes

Photos (via @doughboyspod)[]

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